1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to a termiticide treatment process, more particularly, to a system and method for using termiticide.
2. Description of Related Art
Termites are a common problem facing a large number of residential and commercial structures. Termites feed on dead plants (i.e. wood) among other things. There are three ecological groups of termites, namely drywood termites living in hardwood forests, dampwood termites living in coniferous forests, and subterranean termites living in diverse areas underground. Subterranean termites build tunnels to look for food and travel typically below ground.
Various treatments are available to prevent or kill termites. In particular with subterranean termites, ground treatments are necessary. For homes, treatments are done in the walls and around the foundation via the application of termiticide in trenches. Additional treatments are commonly done beneath the slab or cement foundation. This includes the drilling of a hole into the foundation at spaced intervals, the injection of termiticide into the hole, and the filling of the hole in a concrete patch.
It is desirable to separate the moisture from the termiticide from the cement patch used to cover the hole, so as to allow for proper setting of the concrete. Typically a paper product is wadded up and stuck in the holes. These are less effective because the paper absorbs the moisture and wicks it up to the concrete or pulls the moisture out of the concrete, each affecting the setting of the concrete negatively. In some cases rubberized plugs have been used. These are hardened and work to prevent the absorption of moisture but are extremely difficult to set in the hole. Additionally they are rather expensive. Another disadvantage of the hardened plastic plugs are that they are not removable from the holes. In order to remove them, they must be drilled out.
It is desirable to have a plug for the holes that prevents absorption and is easy to set in the hole to a selected depth to give room for the cement patch. Additionally it is recognized that a number of holes are to be drilled in concrete around the exterior of a structure and are subject to rain and moisture. It is undesirable to leave the open holes exposed over time before and after injection of the termiticide. Therefore it is advantageous to have a plug that is removable to allow the holes to be drilled, plugged for a period of time, and then removed when the termiticide is ready to be injected.
Another disadvantage of present methods for treating with termiticide is the method of setting the “plugs” to a proper depth in the hole. The depth can depend on a number of factors. Currently, pencils are used to push down the plug. It is very difficult to use a pencil with holes of different diameters and also measure the appropriate depth of the plug. The setting of plugs takes a considerable amount of time and results in large man-hour costs.
It is desirable to have a better tool that can fit holes of various diameters and easily sets a particular depth for each plug. It is ideal if such tool allowed for the adjustment of the depth setting as well. This would decrease man-hour costs and labor tremendously and help to ensure a more predictable quality.
Although some strides have been made in treating for subterranean termites, considerable shortcomings remain.
While the system and method of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the application to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the process of the present application as defined by the appended claims.